By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08)
Don’t be such an Aso.
I should really fucking stop reading the articles on Japan Today. Simply because the comments crack me up. A majority of them are incredibly hateful, but the vapid self-righteous immaturity just makes me lose my shit.
So Aso, with superhuman speed, rescinded his statement about having kids as an “obligation” he has fulfilled. Smooth, Aso. Could you imagine Obama stumbling over that pitfall? There’d be rioting in the streets and then the Dixie Chicks would get involved…
Admittedly, using such terms to describe reproduction is a bit harsh, especially for a politician. No woman wants to hear about her uterus placed under any guideline, especially by their supreme leader. This is not the Third Reich, after all. Politicians are icons and the populace look to icons as shining paragons who watch their mouths– or at least have their mouths watched for them. Bless Koizumi for being a politician divorced with scattered spawn– a hipster, long-haired, Elvis-loving fuck. I miss him and have a crush on him in the same way any normal person might yearn for Jean-Luc (Picard, that is.)
Sorry, I digress… Read More
J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese language learning options.
Background: SMAP is one of the most popular boy bands in Japan. Anyone that’s been to Japan and done Karaoke will probably tell you about their songs. Just turn on the TV and you’ll see the very popular Smap Smap variety show. According to Wikipedia SMAP leader Nakai was the highest tax payer of any entertainer in Japan in 2003.
In late April of this year, SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi was arrested for indecent exposure in a public park. He was found not guilty by authorities, and is scheduled today to return back to showbiz on the show Smap Smap. The Japanese newspapers each had their own account of the Smap member’s return.
Yomiuri He’s Back As Popular Than Ever This summary of the article basically sums up Yomiuri’s reporting of the return of Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. They quote him by saying “I’m happy to have my job and start from square one. I apologize for any inconvenience caused to my band members, and I also thank the fans for all their encouraging words.” The “encouraging words”, according to Yomiuri, were about 45,000 letters sent by fans during his one month absence. Yomiuri paints a picture of Tsuyoshi both as popular as ever, and also as busy as ever. After his debut on Smap Smap tonight Tsuyoshi then is scheduled to appear on “Waratemoii” the following day.
Asahi He Has Risen and Reformed The Asahi fails to mention the massive fan mail and rigorous schedule of Tsuoyoshi and instead…
(Click HERE to read the rest of the post)
Job: Accounting and General Affairs for a Trading Company (NYC)
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Via Max Consulting:
Industry: Trading (Import/Export)
Title: Accounting and General Affairs
Job Description: Accounting and General Affairs Staff in a trading company.
JetWit link on official JET Programme site
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A.J., the official mascot of JetWit (designed by Zi Mei (Saitama-ken, 2002-05))
Big news: Just learned that JetWit.com has been added to the JET Programme website’s Links page in the “After JET” section. http://jetprogramme.org/e/links/index.html#after
Needless to say, A.J. is beside himself with shiawase.
Event: Tokyo Authors and Illustrators Networking Night
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Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who also serves as the Publicity Assistant for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, shared the following:
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators presents
SCBWI Tokyo Authors & Illustrators Networking Night
Time: Thursday, June 11, 2009, 7:00 pm onward
Place: The Pink Cow, Villa Moderuna B1, 1-3-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0002 (Tel. 03-3406-5597 www.thepinkcow.com)
Fee: Entry is free to SCBWI members and non-members. Drinks and food are charged individually.
RSVP: RSVP to info@scbwi.jp by June 9.
This event will be in English and Japanese.
Come and join fellow writers, illustrators and publishing professionals at the fourth annual SCBWI Authors & Illustrators Networking Night at The Pink Cow in Shibuya. SCBWI members and non-members are welcome. Mix and mingle, talk shop or just get to know each other. Feel free to bring along copies of your books, portfolios and other materials to share. Great Pink Cow food and drinks available to order at the bar! Please see www.thepinkcow.com for a map.
For more info: info@scbwi.jp / www.scbwi.jp
J-News Mini-Roundup: Aso and Hatoyama Face Off
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Scene from the movie "Faceoff"
J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese language learning options.
Background: Earlier in the year Mr. Ozawa, the leader of the main opposition party in Japan called The Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ, resigned. Although Mr. Ozawa of the DPJ didn’t directly admit it, his resignation was probably influenced by the Nishimatsu Construction scandal, where his secretary was accused of embezzling money. Since the DPJ has elected a new leader, Mr. Hatoyama, to lead them into battle over the snap election that is highly rumored to take place this summer. The first confrontation between Prime Minister Aso and Representative Hatoyama took place last night on the floor of the Diet. Each newspaper took sides.
Asahi “Hatoyama is a Man of the People” The opening paragraph of a political article gives the background, and the second paragraph tells who the newspaper thinks was victorious. The Asahi, reporting on the commentary about “Money and Politics”, quoted Hatoyama in their second paragraph: “While Prime Minister Aso’s power is bureaucratic, the DPJ is a party where we derive our power from the national populace, the local citizen, and the everyday average person.” The Asahi doesn’t even mention Aso’s response until their third paragraph, where they claim “his response was abstract, and commented about the financial crisis and the North Korean problem.”
Nikkei “The Prime Minister Calls for Responsibility” While the Asahi focused on the articulate words of Hatoyama and his criticisms of bureaucratic power
(Click HERE to read the rest of the post)
Job: Sushi Historian (Cambridge, MA)
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Thanks to Therese Stephen (Iwate-ken, 1996-99), former Philly Subchapter Representative, for passing on this job posting from the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) jobsite:
Company: River Bird Studios
Job Title: Sushi Historian
Job Description: Research and guide a historically accurate adventure story focusing on the early development of modern sushi, techniques, tools and ingredients to be told in a sequential monthly art strip. Candidates should be bilingual in English and Japanese.
How to Apply: Send an email to roho[at]aerealcity[dot]com with a brief description of your sushi related knowledge, and writing experience if any (not required).
Click here for job listing on NAJAS site.
Kirsten’s World: 柏崎：A Culinary Tribute
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By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08)
As I have mentioned before, I am not well traveled in Japan. Hence, I have very little basis for comparison as far as varieties go. Whether or not a specific food was particular to my region or even just my town remains a mystery to me. A prime example of this is 新潟お米。 Known by the fancy name of Koshi Hikari. Is it the most delicious rice in all of Japan? I could not tell you with any certainty. I do not know what rice tastes like in other parts of Japan. The rice was certainly of a noticeable quality and texture and I was always happy to eat it but filled with rapture? Not so much.
I’ll tell you what did fill me with rapture, though. マーポーめん
Has no one else heard of this? Really? No one thought to do this?
Just across the bridge and right next to National Highway Route 8 was a tiny pink ramen-ya called Kuishinbo. Read More
Geneva Marie (Niigata-ken, 2008-09) grew up all over the U.S. but if asked will tell you she’s from Minneapolis, MN . JET Lag will recount Geneva’s experiences and thoughts as she prepares to leave the comfortable womb of her JET life and figure out her next move.
So you’re going to die.
I mean, HOME…So you’re going home!
I decided. I did it. I made that final, definitive decision to resign from the JET program as of this coming July. Yikes!
After a winter of deliberating whether or not another year in my isolated country town would be a good move for me, I chose carefully between a sure and steady means of employment with little hassle as far as re-contracting goes and the “mystery box” of future uncertainty: returning to the shaky job market in the US.
I can’t help but wish that after I had signed my final re-contracting papers with a “nay” back in February that I would have been given a pamphlet that said “So you’re going home…” -something like that scene in The Simpsons episode, One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish, in which Homer is handed a pamphlet stating “So you’re going to to die…”after eating some poisonous fugu. I mean, at least he had some instructions…
(What the heck am I going to do NOW?) Read More
J-News Mini-Roundup: The World Reacts to North Korea
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J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese language learning options.
Background Earlier this year in April North Korea did two long range missile tests, aimed at the two bodies of water bordering Japan. Although North Korea claimed the rockets were designed to launch a satellite, these launches were widely condemned by the United Nations as acts of aggression. North Korea in response to the U.N.’s condemnation said it would start testing its nuclear facilities again and continue to do more long range missile tests. Yesterday North Korea put words into action by conducting a nuclear test. The Japanese newspapers this morning reported different world reactions to the North Korean nuclear testing.
Asahi “Korean Foreign Minister: 3-4 Times the Size of Hiroshima” In response to the nuclear testing conducted by North Korea, the Asahi reported that Korea has determined the blast was 3-4 times the size of the bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Yu Myonfan, the foreign minister, claimed this in an interview in front of the Korean cabinet. Although these numbers are alarming, the Asahi does point out that the Defense Minister, Lee Sanghi, claimed the day before that the blasts were not as big as the Hiroshima blast.
Why are the opinions differing between the Defense Minister and Foreign Minister? The Asahi offers this troubling thought: “According to scientists, both the defense and foreign ministers would have had a different perspective on the bomb blast. If they were in different parts of the country when the nuclear bomb went off, they would’ve felt a different earthquake-like wave.”
Nikkei “Russia: A Strict Resolution is Inevitable” The Nikkei reported the commentary by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
(Click HERE to read the rest of the post)
New JET Alum Co-Working Group in NYC
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Are you a freelance translator or writer? Do you while away the days in solitary confinement while thinking it might be interesting to meet like minds, have someone to turn around and confirm a sentence with, or just add some more beating hearts to the room?
If so, then get in touch if you’re interested in being a part of the first ever JET alum co-working group in NYC. The goal behind this is to create a community of people who can share space, support, information, and experience. Timing could be every day, once a week or even once a month. It will depend on the level of response and interest.
There’s a nice mention of JetWit in a recent post on The Wide Island View–The JET Programme Newsletter of Hiroshima Prefecture. (www.wideislandview.com) Glad to see that word awareness of JetWit is on the rise among current JETs. Especially since it’s intended to be a helpful resource with the transition, and due to Japanese privacy laws it’s relatively difficult to get contact information to reach out to current JETs.
JetWit is also thrilled to find out that such a beautiful website of a prefectural newsletter even exists. It’s definitely worth a visit for the articles as well as for the easy-on-the-eyes layout. And they even pay tribute to the past, posting links to the PDF versions of newsletters past, before everything moved to the web.
By the way, if there are any other prefectural newsletter websites out there, please contact JetWit and let us know so we can post links to you guys.
Jobs: International Education Programs (Chronicle of Higher Ed)
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Via the Chronicle of Higher Education’s international education programs job listings:
5/24/2009
5/22/2009
- New York University (New York) : International Student Advisors, Department of Student Life
5/20/2009
- Institute of International Education – D.C. (D.C.) : Program Development Coordinator
- Institute of International Education – D.C. (D.C.) : Program Officer – Eastern Europe
5/19/2009
- Washington and Jefferson College (Pennsylvania) : Director of Study Abroad and Off-Campus Programs
5/18/2009
- University of California at San Diego (California) : IGCC Director of Special Projects, Middle East Programs (Payroll title: Academic Coordinator)
Job:Loyola University Study Abroad Advisor (New Orleans)
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Thanks to JET alum Carleen Ben for sharing the following job listing:
Job Description/ Responsibilities
1. Work with students
-Advise students on study abroad opportunities and the procedures involved to study abroad.
-Ensure compliance with best practices for study abroad.
-Develop and deliver study abroad information, orientation, including health and safety information, and re-entry sessions.
-Advise Returnee Network and inBUS, student organizations for returning study abroad students
-Maintain communication with study abroad students while abroad to notify of university deadlines, scholarship deadlines, and address issues regarding culture shock, health and safety, etc.
-Assist Director in work with returnees to evaluate programs, obtain feedback on programs and experiences for future students, ease transition and promote study abroad.
-Coordinate applications, interviews and selection of students for Loyola exchange programs.
-Help students with financial aid and scholarship applications, e.g. Freeman Asia, Gilman, Fulbright, NSEP, and IFSA Foundation and other study abroad scholarships.
-Serve as alternate emergency contact for summer programs.
-Monitor CDC and State Department Travel Warnings to ensure that students and faculty directors are aware of relevant information. Read More
